In Australia, thousands of dollars' worth of damage is caused by termites every year. If you do not want to end up having to fork out large sums of money for termite control experts to deal with an infestation for you, then there are certain measures you can take yourself. That said, any termite treatment that you do should be undertaken with the advice of a professional pest control expert. Of course, the best way forward is to know what to do if you suspect there are termites in your home. What should you do?
Listen For Termites
To protect your property from termites, it is important to try and make it as hard for them as possible to establish themselves. Therefore, taking swift action when you have detected termites is always a good move. Unfortunately, they can be rather difficult to spot. One of the best ways of working out whether you have termites in your building is to enter a room as quietly as you can in the dark. If you hear a clicking sound that immediately stops as soon as you make a noise or turn the lights on, then it is probable that you have termites in the walls or ceiling of your building.
Treat Wooden Surfaces
Another good idea to prevent termite numbers from increasing is to treat all of the wood in your home. For example, floorboards should be varnished and any small holes that have developed in them filled in. A further tip for successful termite treatment is to paint all of your external timbers. This includes weatherboarding, window frames and outbuildings. A coat of paint is sometimes all that is required to prevent termites boring their way into the wooden parts of your house. If you detect any flaking or bubbling paint when you are performing this task, then it is likely termites have already gotten in somewhere.
Repair Cracked Concrete
Subterranean termites tend to cause damage to the foundations of homes by eating their way through fissures in concrete. Ensure that any cracked or broken concrete around your property is fully repaired. This is a good way of preventing further damage caused by these insects from occurring. Remember that all subterranean termites need some sort of water close by, so taking steps to deny them this is another good preventative termite treatment you could adopt. Simply draining your pond or pool for a period will help.
Reach out to termite treatment professionals to learn more.